11 Best Dandruff Shampoos to Fight Flakes and Itching

This double duty anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioner formula from Head & Shoulders is a GH Beauty Lab gold standard for powerful results. It helps remove flakes, calm itching, relieve irritation, reduce redness and fight dryness. The shampoo contains the active ingredient pyrithione zinc, which works as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal treatment to reduce the dandruff-causing yeast Malassezia. It's also infused with conditioning ingredients like dimethicone and almond oil to minimize the loss of moisture. The 2-in-1 combo may not be hydrating enough for dry hair (you'll need a separate conditioner!), and if you choose to go that route, GH Beauty Lab Reviews Analyst Chiara Butler loves the brand's Classic Clean Shampoo: "It's tried-and-true; I love the creamy texture of the shampoo and the dense lather it creates," she says.

New York City dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D., says her #1 anti-dandruff shampoo recommendation is this drugstore buy from Dove. Made with nourishing sweet almond oil, vitamin E and aloe, it also contains the anti-dandruff active ingredient pyrithione zinc in a 1% concentration. "It helps get rid of flakes, irritation, hydrates a dry and/or itchy scalp and can be used every single day," she notes, though some users reported that it wasn't strong enough to help with their dandruff. To ensure you get the most out of the product, make sure you suds with it routinely, because "consistency is critically important when using dandruff shampoo," Dr. Fusco says.

This go-to Nizoral dandruff treatment is made with the flake-fighting medicinal active ingredient ketaconazole. "Ketaconazole is an anti-fungal ingredient that helps reduce the growth of Malassezia, the bacteria that causes dandruff," says Rajani Katta, M.D., a dermatologist in Bellaire, Texas and author of Glow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet. "This is a yeast that lives on everybody's scalp, but in some people it seems to trigger inflammation, with redness and flaking of the skin." The formula also boasts over 54,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. Note that due to their strength, medicated dandruff shampoos can sometimes dehydrate hair.

Some anti-dandruff shampoos are known for stripping hair of moisture, but not this Ouai formula made with clarifying apple cider vinegar and fortifying keratin, although it does not contain an anti-dandruff active ingredient. Gaby Longsworth, Ph.D., a trichology-certified hair practitioner and owner of Absolutely Everything Curly recommends apple cider vinegar as an ingredient to relieve scalp itch, which can be caused by dryness.

"Most shampoos that claim to eliminate dirt, dandruff and product buildup leave my hair feeling brittle and straw-like, but a small amount of this lightly-scented shampoo leaves my hair feeling super clean yet not dry," says GH Assistant Editor Annie O'Sullivan. "I use it about once a week with my regular conditioner and my scalp and hair always look, feel and smell great."

Infused with the flake-fighting ingredients salicylic acid and tea tree oil, plus plant extracts and oils like rosemary, sage and sunflower, this ApotheCare Essentials shampoo balances the scalp while providing an aromatherapy-like experience thanks to its refreshing herbal scent, although some users said it didn't leave hair feeling smooth. GH's beauty director is also a fan of this line for its "pleasant aromas and pampering formulas."

Calm an itchy, irritated scalp with this extra strength Selsun Blue shampoo, which contains 1% selenium sulfide to treat dandruff. "This is one of the only OTC products that helps to soothe my dry scalp, especially since I tend to itch and cause damage near my roots [by scratching]," says GH Health Editor Zee Krstic. Though some reviewers noted that they didn't like the formula's strong medicinal aroma, Krstic says, "I love that I can feel the menthol for hours after my shower, and I also am impressed at how well my hair styles under a hair dryer after using this product."

Dr. Katta likes this Neutrogena shampoo because it's infused with a key dandruff fighter: salicylic acid. Though often used as an acne treatment, the active ingredient helps slough off any excess flaking, clearing the scalp of flakes, itchiness and dryness quickly. The tradeoff: The ingredient can also be drying on hair.

While no shampoo can actually help reduce hair fall, GH Beauty Lab experts recommend this bargain-priced Head & Shoulders formula for thinning hair. It contains the proven anti-dandruff active ingredient pyrithione zinc in a formula that will help enhance hair's fullness, though a few users noted that it made their strands feel dry. "My hair is thinning and I can see that this shampoo really does add a fuller look!" one reviewer raved. Another commented that it "adds volume to fine hair while it keeps your scalp free of dandruff."

This specialized anti-dandruff shampoo is from Bosley MD, a haircare brand known for fighting hair loss and promoting hair growth. In addition to anti-flake active pyrithione zinc, this formulation was created with botanicals like rosemary extract to boost scalp circulation and panthenol (provitamin B5) to strengthen hair.

Based on flake-fighting salicylic acid plus softening ingredients like glycerin and coconut extract, Re-Fresh's gentle dandruff shampoo gives hair much-needed nourishment. "Even if you don't have dandruff, this formula with its matching conditioner leaves textured hair incredibly silky," GH's beauty director says. "And it smells heavenly, like a tropical cocktail!"

True to its name, reviewers have found speedy scalp relief with this dandruff shampoo from Redken. The dandruff-busting ingredient here is pyrithione zinc, which Dr. McMichael says is anti-inflammatory and keeps seborrheic dermatitis from spreading. "Within two weeks it resolved my dandruff issue," wrote one reviewer. "And it makes my hair look so pretty and healthy."